The 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment is a unit of the United States Army garrisoned at Fort Irwin, California. Although termed an armored cavalry regiment, it is currently being re-organized as a multi-component Heavy Brigade Combat Team. The regiment has served in the Philippine-American War, World War II, the Vietnam War, Cold War, Operation Desert Storm, and Operation Iraqi Freedom (Iraq War). The ACR was serving as the Opposing Force (OPFOR) for the Army, Marine, and National Guard task forces, and foreign military forces that train at the National Training Center. The OPFOR trained America's armed forces in mechanized desert warfare, and following a Soviet Era style threat until June 2002, when the OPFOR and the 11th ACR changed to portraying a modern urban/ asymmetrical warfare style of combat the soldiers are currently being faced with in operations abroad. From June to December 2003, members of the 11th ACR deployed to Afghanistan, where they helped to develop and train the armor and mechanized infantry battalions of the Afghan National Army. These specialized units would defend the Afghan capital during the country's constitutional convention. In January 2005, the 11th ACR deployed to Iraq. The 11th ACR was not reorganized under the CARS System, but has been reorganized under the USARS System.
History
11th Cavalry Regiment
The regiment was constituted on 2 February 1901 in the Regular Army as the 11th Cavalry Regiment, and was organized on 11 March 1901 at Fort Myer, Virginia. For an operational history of the regiment, see the separate squadron histories below.
World War II
At the start of World War II, the 11th Cavalry was stationed at the Presidio of Monterey in California. They moved to Fort Ord in stages from 16 January to 27 January 1940 and again to Camp Clayton on 15 April to 15 May 1940 for temporary training. They participated in maneuvers at Fort Lewis in Washington from 4 August to 29 August 1940, and returned to the Presidio of Monterey on 31 August 1940, where they were relieved from assignment to 2nd Cavalry Division, and resumed its status as a separate regiment. They next moved to Camp Seeley in California on 7 November 1941, and again to Live Oaks, California on 24 July 1941; they then returned to Camp Seeley on 17 September 1941, and to Camp Lockett on 10 December 1941. They were next assigned to the United States Army Armored Force on 12 June 1942, and relocated to Fort Benning in Georgia on 10 July 1942, where they prepared to be inactivated and reorganized.
The 11th Cavalry Regiment was inactivated on 15 July 1942 at Fort Benning, Georgia; personnel and equipment concurrently transferred to the 11th Armored Regiment, with concurrent development of the 11th Cavalry Group, and the 11th Tank Group. The remainder of 11th Cavalry was disbanded on 26 October 1944.
11th Armored Regiment
11th Armored Regiment was constituted on 11 July 1942 in the national army, assigned to the 10th Armored Division, and organized at Fort Benning on 15 July 1942 from the personnel and equipment of the 11th Cavalry Regiment.
The motto on the unit insignia is "Allons", which means "Let's Go" in French.
The regiment moved to Murfreesboro, Tennessee on 22 June 1943, and then Fort Gordon on 5 September 1943.
11th Armored Regiment was broken up on 20 September 1943, and its elements were distributed as follows:
- HHC-11th Armored Regiment, and 1st and 2nd Battalions were reorganized as the 11th Tank Battalion in the 10th AD.
- 3rd Battalion, 11th Armored Regiment was reorganized and redesignated as the 712th Tank Battalion, and relieved from assignment to the 10th AD.
712th Tank Battalion was inactivated at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey on 27 October 1945, and redesignated the 525th Medium Tank Battalion on 1 September 1948. It was activated on 10 September 1948 at Fort Lewis, Washington.
525th Medium Tank Battalion was redesignated as 95th Tank Battalion on 4 February 1950, assigned to 7th Armored Division, and activated at Camp Roberts, California on 24 November 1950, and inactivated there on 15 November 1953.
Reconnaissance Company was reorganized and redesignated as Troop E, 90th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron, which maintained a separate history thereafter.
Maintenance and Service Companies were disbanded.
11th Tank Battalion
As part of the 10th Armored Division, 11th Tank Battalion shipped out from the New York Port of Embarkation on 13 September 1944, and landed in France on 23 September 1944.
The battalion participated in the Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, and Central Europe Campaigns, and was located at Schongau, Bavaria, Germany on 14 August 1945.
The battalion returned to the Hampton Roads Port of Embarkation on 13 October 1945, was inactivated at Camp Patrick Henry, Virginia on the same day, and was relieved from assignment to the 10th AD.
11th Cavalry Group (Mechanized)
HHT, 11th Cavalry Regiment was redesignated on 19 April 1943 as HHT, 11th Cavalry Group, and was activated at Camp Anza, California on 5 May 1943. At that time, the 36th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron and 44th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron were attached. The group was then moved to Fort Bragg on 31 January 1944, and again to Atlantic Beach, Florida on 15 March 1944 for amphibious training. They then moved to Camp Gordon on 1 June 1944 and then departed the New York Port of Embarkation on 29 September 1944, and arrived in England on 10 October 1944, and landed in France on 26 November 1944. They moved to the Netherlands on 8 December 1944, went into the line in Germany on 12 December 1944, and protected the Roer River sector; they recrossed into the Netherlands on 3 February 1945, and re-entered Germany on 27 February 1945 on the left flank of the U.S. 84th Infantry Division. The group then held a defensive line along the Rhine River near Düsseldorf on 12 March 1945 under the U.S. XIII Corps, and crossed the Rhine at Wesel on 1 April 1945, screened XIII Corps' northern flank, and saw action during the Battle of Munster and the seizure of the Ricklingen Bridge over the Leine River. During the campaign in northwestern Europe, Troop B of the 44th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron served as a mechanized escort and security force for the headquarters of General Dwight D. Eisenhower, supreme commander of the Allied Expeditionary Forces. In August 1945, 11th Cavalry Group headquarters was located at Gross Ilsede, Germany.
HHT, 11th Cavalry Group was converted and reorganized as HHT, 11th Constabulary Regiment on 1 May 1946. HHT 11th Constabulary Regiment was further reorganized and redesignated at HHC, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment on 30 November 1948.
11th Tank Group
HHT, 11th Tank Group was constituted on 19 July 1943 in the National Army. It was activated at Camp Campbell, Kentucky on 28 July 1943 as a separate group. It was reorganized and redesignated as HHC, 11th Armored Group on 5 December 1943. During the war, armored groups such as the 11th were used as administrative headquarters for the numerous independent tank battalions fielded in the European Theater of Operations. HHC, 11th Armored Group was converted and redesignated HHT, 1st Constabulary Regiment on 1 May 1946. HHT, 1st Constabulary Regiment was inactivated on 20 September 1947 in Germany.
11th Armored Cavalry Regiment
Reassembly and organizing of 11th ACR was completed on 30 November 1948 by reconstitution and reorganization of elements of the 11th Cavalry Regiment and HHT, 1st Constabulary Regiment. HHT-1st Constabulary Regiment was converted, redesignated and consolidated into 11th ACR as HHT, 3rd Battalion, 11th ACR on 30 November 1948. 11th Tank Battalion was consolidated into 11th ACR on 8 January 1951. 95th Tank Battalion was consolidated into 3rd Battalion, 11th ACR on 1 October 1958. Air Troop inactivated 20 March 1972 in Vietnam; 2d Squadron inactivated 6 April 1972 in Vietnam; Air Troop and 2d Squadron activated 17 May 1972 in Germany. Around 1984, Air Troop was enlarged and became the 4th Squadron ( Thunderhorse ), also known as the Combat Aviation Squadron.
Placed 17 June 1986 under the United States Army Regimental System
Inactivated 15 October 1993 - 15 March 1994 in Germany
Activated 16 October 1994 (less 3d and 4th Squadrons; the Air Defense Artillery Battery; and the Howitzer Batteries, 1st and 2d Squadrons) at Fort Irwin, California
Vietnam 1966 - 1972
Home now for the Regiment was Fort Meade, Maryland where the "Blackhorse" engaged in operational training and support activities like participation in the Presidential Inauguration and support for ROTC summer training.
With the conflict in Vietnam escalating, the Blackhorse Regiment was alerted for assignment to Southeast Asia on 11 March 1966. The Regiment began specialized training for combat in a counterinsurgency environment. Modifications were made to the organization and equipment (MTOE) with emphasis on the use of modified M113 armored personnel carriers (APCs). Two M-60 machineguns with protective gun shield were mounted at the rear of the vehicle and a gun shield was added around the .50 caliber machine gun located at the commander's hatch. This lethal combination produced a deadly M-113 that was swiftly maneuverable and armor protected. Its nickname was ACAV (Armored Cavalry Assault Vehicle).
The Regiment's modifications emp
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